Pituitary Disease Care

The pituitary gland is the "master gland" coordinating multiple hormone systems. Tumors of the pituitary gland can be hard to diagnose and treat. The UR Medicine Pituitary Program is a multi-disciplinary center with experts from Endocrinology, Neurosurgery, ENT, Pathology, Radiation Oncology and Neuro-Ophthalmology.

Successful diagnosis and treatment requires the input of both an endocrinologist and a neurosurgeon with expertise in pituitary disease. Ismat Shafiq, M.B.B.S., from the Division of Endocrinology, and G. Edward Vates, M.D., Ph.D, from Department of Neurosurgery, provide state-of-the-art care to patients with pituitary disorders. The clinic sees almost 1,000 patient visits per year from all of Western New York and Northern Pennsylvania and almost 100 pituitary surgeries per year. The multidisciplinary approach of the UR Medicine Pituitary Program provides better, more coordinated and efficient care of patients, and enriches the training experience for residents and fellows in both Neurosurgery and Endocrinology.

G. Edward Vates, MD, PhD, FACS is Co-Director of the UR Medicine Pituitary Program. A native of Wilmington, Delaware, Dr. Vates graduated summa cum laude from Duke University, completed his MD at Cornell University Medical College, and trained in neurosurgery at the University of California, San Francisco, where he learned the nuances of pituitary tumor surgery from Dr. Charles B. Wilson, one of the modern pioneers in the technique. Since joining the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Rochester Medical Center, Dr. Vates has distinguished himself as a leader in skull base surgery, especially endoscopic skull base surgery.

Ismat Shafiq, MD is Co-Director of the UR Medicine Pituitary Program. She received her medical education from Khyber Medical College, Pakistan. She completed Internal medicine residency training at Catholic Health System, University of Buffalo, NY, followed by fellowship in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism here at the University of Rochester. She has played a major role in the Pituitary clinic since 2010 by establishing steroid sparing protocol in the post-operative trans-sphenoidal patients as well as participating in multicenter studies to develop a better understanding of pituitary disease.